Designed by Ernst Heinkel specifically for the Austro-
Hungarian K.u.k. Luftfahrttruppen in 1916, the KD
(Kampf Doppeldecker) single-seat fighter featured a
novel system of wing interplane bracing in the form of
four Vee struts joined in the centre of the wing bay by
their apices to result in a "star'' arrangement, which led
to the KD being dubbed a "star strutter". Flown as a
prototype with the 160hp Mercedes D III six-cylinder
water-cooled engine, the KD was manufactured in
series as the D.I with the 150hp and 160hp Austro-
Daimler engines by the Hansa- und Brandenburgische
Flugzeug-Werke, and with the 185hp Austro-Daimler
by the Phonix Flugzeugwerke of Vienna. Of wooden
construction with fabric wing skinning, plywood fuselage skinning and having steel-tube interplane strutting,
the D.I was armed with a single unsynchronised
8mm Schwarzlose machine gun which was enclosed
by a fairing on top of the cabane and fired over the propeller.
The D.I was reputedly difficult to fly, suffered inadequate
directional stability owing to the rudder
being blanketed by the deep fuselage, and had poor
spin recovery characteristics. A number of Phonix-built
Brandenburg D.Is survived World War I to serve briefly
with the Deutschosterreichische Fliegertruppe.

3-View

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A three-view drawing (1643 x 1275)

Specification

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WEIGHTS

Take-off weight

920 kg

2028 lb

Empty weight

672 kg

1482 lb

DIMENSIONS

Wingspan

8.50 m

28 ft 11 in

Length

6.35 m

21 ft 10 in

Wing area

23.95 m2

257.80 sq ft

PERFORMANCE

Max. speed

187 km/h

116 mph

Comments

Kevin, 19.11.2013

Germans rule

jerry k, 27.04.2011

This plane was also known as "the spider" because of it's intricate, 8 legged struts.